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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25693828">Confidence Man</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Roseatte/pseuds/Roseatte'>Roseatte</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Lost</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 07:28:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,663</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25693828</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Roseatte/pseuds/Roseatte</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Where is it?”</p><p>“The only person I’ll tell,” Sawyer’s breath puffs out with exertion, his voice baleful in spite of the knife digging into the skin below his eye, “- is <i>her</i>.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kate Austen/James "Sawyer" Ford</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Confidence Man</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>From Season 1, Episode 7.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“What are you doing?” Kate demands, hardly believing her eyes. </p><p>Jack and Sayid have Sawyer’s limp body hanging between them, his legs trailing uselessly as they drag him through the sand. He is obviously unconscious, and there is fresh blood dripping down the side of his head.</p><p>Neither of the men respond to her, much to her chagrin.</p><p>“Jack!” She tries again, her voice taking on a harder edge as she speeds up after them. </p><p>“This was Sawyer’s choice,” Jack bites out between heavy pants, “- not mine.”</p><p>The reality of the situation was enough to stop her in her tracks. All of this was over the <em> asthma medication</em>. Kate had previously witnessed Shannon’s asthmatic episode, the poor girl gasping for breath as if she was running out of air. It was an uncomfortable sight to witness, knowing that there was no medicine to help her.</p><p>Jack, of course, had been furious once he found out that Sawyer was hoarding the medicine, but she hadn’t expected him to escalate the situation to this point. </p><p>Sawyer was adamant about not giving the medicine up, no matter what the consequences were. He had this coming, and yet she couldn’t stop the tight coil of dread and apprehension from winding itself into the back of her throat.</p><p>“If you <em> do </em> this…” She trails off, her voice catching at the end. What exactly <em> were </em> they going to do to him?</p><p>And Sayid, what was his role in this? From the stiff set of his jaw and the cold look in his eyes, it seemed like his participation was more personal than out of duty. Did he suspect Sawyer as the culprit behind the sabotage of their radio transmission signal project?</p><p>At a loss, Kate stands silently and watches as they drag the blond haired man into the jungle.</p><p>She tries to block out the screams that come later.<br/><br/></p><hr/><p><br/>By the time Kate makes her way into the jungle, the damage has been done. Sawyer is leaning over with exhaustion, tied to one of the winding, vine-like trees. His head is drooping forward dully, as if he is too exhausted to keep it lifted. Golden wisps of his hair fall in tendrils over his eyes, obscuring his facial expression. The sight of it is a far cry from the infuriatingly confident, semi-attractive -not that she likes to <em> admit </em>that- man who’s been aggravating the survivors since they crashed on this island.</p><p>If she didn’t know any better, she would think he hadn’t noticed her at all.</p><p>But she does know him better than that. He’s intriguing, and similar to her in a way that she doesn’t wish to contemplate.</p><p>The man’s head lifts up slowly, and they both regard each other with unreadable looks. The only noise aside from the incessant chatter of the jungle is his harsh, ragged breaths. He sounds like a wounded animal, and from the guarded glint in his eyes and dried blood on his face, he looks like one too. </p><p>It doesn’t seem like he’s going to say anything, so she begins her approach- slow, confident steps, hiding the unease she felt over the entire situation.</p><p>When Jack and Sayid first came to inform her of Sawyer’s ultimatum, she had already been on edge. The entire beach had heard the results of the twisted vigilante justice- Sawyer’s howls of pain from somewhere in the jungle. What had they done to him? </p><p>A darker thought in the back of her mind slinks out, whispering lowly that perhaps this is what Sawyer deserves. He's arrogant and selfish, and how else were they supposed to get him to give up the girl’s medicine? No amount of persuasion had swayed him, and even Jack’s fists had failed to turn the man.</p><p>Coming to a stop, Kate lets her eyes rove over him silently. There was a healthy amount of distance between them- she's still wary, in spite of their positions. </p><p>Sawyer leans his head back against the green rind of the tree he’s been tied to and fixes his gaze on her. Despite the hair still falling over his face, she can see his eyes peeking through. The normal blue has darkened in the low light, seeming to catch the green hues from the forest around them.</p><p>Tired of him staring at her, she bites out, “So, I’m here. Where is it?”</p><p>He closes his eyes and shakes his head a bit, as if amused by his own circumstances. “Happy to tell ‘ya,” He pauses for a moment, and when his eyes open they’re acquisitive and taunting. “- as soon as I get that kiss.”</p><p>Kate freezes in disbelief, before muttering out a disgusted, <em> “What? </em>”</p><p>He dips his head down and closes his eyes again, and she can see a small smirk tugging at the side of his mouth.</p><p>“Are you serious?” She continues, hardly believing her ears. After everything that had just happened to him, he <em> still </em> wanted to play these fucked up games with her?</p><p>“Baby, I am tied to a tree in the jungle of mystery. I just got tortured by a damn spinal surgeon and a genuine Iraqi. Of course I'm serious.”</p><p>Kate frowns down at him, not knowing what to think. </p><p>Sawyer jutts his jaw up at her, a wolfish smile on his face. “Just not seein’ the big picture here, Freckles. You’re really gonna let that girl suffocate, cause you can’t bring yourself to give me one little kiss?”</p><p>She keeps her mouth sealed shut, and he continues on.</p><p>“Hell, it’s only first base. Lucky for you, I ain’t greedy.”</p><p>Kate narrows her eyes at him, staring long and hard, barely concealing the loathing she feels in this moment. The longer she stares, the more his face seems to settle into something pathetic- like a poor, trapped creature stuck in a snare. Was his facade crumbling, or was this another aspect of his con? Tugging at her empathy to get what he wants? She wouldn’t put it past him. He had already attempted to <em>guilt</em> her into doing it.</p><p>A low frustration began bubbling up over the thought that she doesn’t understand him, not one bit. Why wouldn’t he just willingly provide the medicine? He had no personal use for it. Shannon was suffering without it, but he didn’t seem to care at all. </p><p>And then asking her for the <em> kiss</em>. Part of her feels disgusted over his request. How can one person be that vile? </p><p>A colder, keener part of her is speculative over his behavior. Was any of this truly about asthma medicine? Perhaps Sawyer was the type of man who unconsciously sought out punishment. Maybe he wanted the world to hate him.</p><p>At a loss for what else to do, she finally relents, “Okay.”</p><p>Sawyer leans his head back against the tree once more, acting as if almost relieved at her response. His mouth is parted and he repeats a soft, “Okay.”</p><p>Hesitantly, she breaches the small distance left between them, coming to a crouch in front of his restrained form. She leans in closer, and suddenly she can see every detail on him: the stubble on his jaw, the red tint of smeared blood that trails across his right cheek and down his neck, and the blue of his eyes- tired, hungry, and half-lidded, all at the same time. There’s something vulnerable there, too.</p><p>Kate looks him up and down, not used to the close proximity between them, and then forces herself to tilt her head, dipping down to where his mouth is. </p><p>She tentatively brushes her lips against his, and he responds in turn, kissing her back with a subdued restraint that surprises her. He’s always put on a mean, aggressive facade, so she had expected something of similar nature in their kiss. Then again, he’s tied to a tree, lacking any semblance of control- that may have something to do with it.</p><p>In spite of the dehydration and rough condition of the jungle, his lips are warm and soft against her own. The feeling isn’t unpleasant, and unconsciously she lets out a small, relieved sigh through her nose. </p><p>Sawyer said just <em> one little kiss</em>, but instead of drawing away when it’s supposed to be over, her lips keep moving. Mindlessly, she pushes forward, parting her mouth and feeling his tongue swipe experimentally against her lips. The feeling ignites something low in her belly, and she presses her lips into his with more fervor. </p><p>Sawyer lets out muffled, encouraging noise, and they kiss again- this time deeper. Their tongues slide together, and the taste of his mouth is sweet and familiar. It’s the smokiness of the cigarettes he’s been inhaling since they arrived, and the honeyed taste of the mangoes they’ve been picking from the trees, and something else that leaves her feeling a little lightheaded. It’s electrifying in a way that makes her blood race, and the jolt of it jogs her back to reality. </p><p>She pulls away from him with a rough exhale, not meeting his eyes. </p><p>Their faces are still close together, and she peeks up to meet his stare. There’s something sobering in his gaze that she can’t quite read.</p><p>“I don’t have it.”</p><p>She inches away from him, confusion on her face. “What?”</p><p>He has to gall to almost look contrite. “The medicine. I don’t have it. Never did.”</p><p>“The book - they said you found it in their luggage.”</p><p>“Book washed up on shore. Went in the drink with the rest of the -”</p><p>Sawyer didn’t have the chance to finish his sentence, because Kate finds herself lashing out like a snake, slapping him <em> hard</em>. His face rocks to the side, stung from the blow. The outrage she feels is palpable, and she doesn’t bother to look at him afterwards, too inflamed over his dirty deception. Even worse, a part of her <em> liked </em> kissing him. </p><p>Rising to her feet, she storms away from him, feeling fresh indignation, confusion, and something else she can’t name. </p>
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